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Two years ago, my husband and I went to San Jose for a couple of days and visited the Winchester Mystery House. The owner of the house, the wife of the founder of Winchester Guns was told that her house was being haunted by the ghosts of people killed by her husband’s guns. She did non-stop construction on the house to appease and confuse the spirits. There are doorways that lead to drop-offs outside, or just open to solid walls. Floors between rooms are at different heights. Everything is very disjointed.

What stuck out to me most though, were the stairs. Sarah Winchester had arthritis and hip problems, so she had very small steps installed so she didn’t have to lift her legs very high. The steps weren’t even an inch apart in distance. Our tour group kept bumping their toes into steps and mismeasuring where the next step would be because they were so unexpected. While most people don’t have these problems in their home, they should still be thinking about stair safety.

Stairs are one of the leading causes of home accidents, particularly for the elderly. Walking safely up and down stairs is something many of us take for granted, but it does take a certain level of coordination and depth perception. Stairs are also one of the recommended areas to check for safety before attempting to sell your home. Below are some measures you can take to make the stairs in your home safer for everyone.